Hi-tech irrigation scheduling advice for small-scale sugarcane production.

The adoption of irrigation scheduling techniques in South African sugarcane production has been disappointing. A recent survey concluded that the main reason was the complexity and inappropriateness of technology in relation to practical constraints on the farm. This poster describes an attempt to address the problem. It describes (i) a hi-tech system to provide practical, real time irrigation advice and (ii) its pilot implementation on a small-scale irrigation scheme. Introduction Adoption of irrigation scheduling techniques in South African sugarcane production has been disappointing, leading to very low irrigation water use efficiency. A recent survey (Olivier and Singels, 2004) concluded that the main reasons for non-adoption were (i) the complexity of technology in relation to practical constraints on the farm, and (ii) the underestimation of the benefits of accurate scheduling. The challenge therefore is to provide practical and useful advice to farmers using state of the art technology, and to convince farmers of the benefits of irrigation scheduling by on-farm demonstration. The purpose of this poster is to describe (i) a hi-tech system to provide practical, real time irrigation advice and (ii) its pilot implementation on a small-scale farm irrigation scheme in Pongola. System description The various components of the My Canesim system are shown in Figure 1. It consists of: • A database of model inputs (weather, soil, crop and irrigation data) and outputs (crop water status, yield and irrigation advice). • The Canesim model that estimates the recent, current and future water balance, crop status and yield. • A module that (i) extrapolates the water balance at a reference position to various positions in the field and then determines the ideal irrigation schedule based on this, and (ii) automatically generates and distributes irrigation advice to farmers’ cellular phones via short message service (SMS). • An Internet based user interface for advisors and extension staff to enter field, crop and irrigation system data and to view simulation results. Proc S Afr Sug Technol Ass (2005) 79, page 225 The My Canesim System